Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, so we had to pass through customs when we crossed the border. Switzerland is well known for its banking. About 1.5 Swiss Franc are worth $1.00 and the Swiss continue to use this currency. Watches, chocolate, cheese, music boxes, cuckoo clocks, and knives are some of Switzerland's best known products.

We stopped to see the Rhinefalls, the largest waterfall in Europe.

We stayed in Lucerne, quite near the lake. The city of Lucerne has a display of frogs which have been decorated and sponsored by local merchants. A covered wooden bridge connects the old part of the city to the new. Scenes depicting the history of the city are painted on panels under the roof. Some of these panels were destroyed in a fire, so there are currently photographs replacing them.

We began with a cruise on Lake Lucerne.

Until this point on the trip, our weather had been cloudy and rainy and quite cool for July. The sun broke through and we saw a beautiful rainbow. The sun stayed with us for the remainder of the trip.

This Lion Monument is dedicated to Swiss palace guards who were killed in France in 1792. Switzerland is a neutral country and does not take part in the wars of other countries.

One of the highlights of the trip was a climb up Mount Pilatus in a cog railway.

We saw spectacular views near the top, but when we climbed the stairs, we were in the clouds.

There was a fresh snowfall of about three inches from the day before, quite rare for late July.

Our descent was in two different cable cars, the first ones holding about 40 people, followed by smaller cars meant for just four.

We could hear the bells of the cows below us. The sheep grazed on the grass.

After our trip up the mountain, we saw a folklore show where they played the Alpine horns. I didn't realize that they could be played so sweetly. Yodeling is part of the local music. We dipped chunks of bread into cheese fondue for lunch.